Bag packing device



Nov. 5, 1940.

T. E. ALLISON 2,220,139

BAG PACKING DEVICE Filed Feb. 1, 1940 fifleza for flmaszwglzaisoza Patented Nov. 5, 1940 UNITED STATES BAG PACKING DEVICE Thomas E. Allison, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Continental Coffee Company, Inc., Chicago, 11]., a

corporation of Illinois Application February 1, 1940, Serial No. 316,791

2 Claims.

My invention relates to a construction for closing the open mouths of recently packed bags and for compressing the contents thereof so that the bags may be prepared for sealing and ship- 5 ment.

In the filling of bags with ground coffee, sugar or the like, the fillingvoperation leaves the bags with spread top wallsnand wide open mouths. The coffee tends to fall to the bottom of the bags and form a bulge therein, again distorting the shape of the bag and making it difiicult, if not impossible, to seal or ship in that condition. To correct this condition requires that the bags be each lifted out, patted, and the upper ends brought together. This took time, involved substantial labor costs and provided uneven and poor results. My invention was created to solve the above problems and to provide a construction which would evenly and uniformly bring the side 20 walls together and close the wide open mouths of the bags and also compress the contents to eliminate the bulges and present a firm, evenly distributed package, which could be easily sealed and properly shipped. My invention has resulted in greater speed of operation, substantial econonly in labor and other costs, uniformity of operation and result, and an improved product. My invention also contemplates such other objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more 30 fully appear and which are inherently possessed by my invention. 1

While I have shown in the accompanying drawing a preferred form of my invention, yet I desire it understood that the same is susceptible 35 of modification and change without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Referring to the drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a device made in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view; Fig. 3 is 40 a detailed sectional View of the front rollers on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a detailed sectional view of the rear rollers on line 4-4 of Fig. l.

The embodiment selected to illustrate my invention comprises a frame III to the front and 45 rear portions of which are attached adjustable spaced base members II. To said base members are rotatably attached studs I2 on which rotate spaced front and rear rollers l3 and I4 respectively. A trough I5 has a portion attached to 50 said frame I0 and extends before and beyond said frame. In trough I5 is a movable conveyor It adapted to receive and carry bags filled with ground coffee or the like.

Adjacent the tops of each of the spaced front rollers I3 is a ring I! with an outer surface I8 of nonslip material, such as rubber or the like. The surfaces I8 of opposite rings I! extend very close together with very little space therebetween.

An endless belt I9 travels between each front 5 roller I3 and each rear roller I4 on the same side, so that there are a pair of spaced belts I9. Another belt 20 contacts the upper portion of the rear rollers I4 and is moved by any desired source of power so as to move the rear rollers l4 and 10 through belts I 9 the front rollers l3.

A pair of adjustable supports 2| are attached -to the frame I ll adjacent the middle portion,

and carry a pair of spaced fiat spring members 22 which bear against the belts I9 to keep the space therebetween substantially even.

The base members II for the rear rollers I4 are positioned so that said rear rollers are slightly closer together than the front rollers I3.

In use a plurality of bags filled with ground coffee or the like are placed on the conveyor l6 before the front rollers are reached. In practice the bags have just been filled with the ground coffee and the walls of the bags are spaced, leaving wide open mouths. In this condition it would v be very difiicult to seal the bag. The ground coffee is also in a lump at the bottom of the bag and presents an unattractive bulge. When each of the bags approaches the front rollers I3 it is first contacted by the outer nonslip surfaces I8 of rings II. The opposite surfaces I8 press the walls of the bag together at their upper portions, shutting the wide open mouth and preparing the bag so that it may be easily and properly sealed.

The bag then passes between the oppositely disposed and spaced front rollers I3 and contacts on each side the surfaces of the oppositely disposed and spaced belts I9. The front rollers I3 are so spaced by their base members II that the belts I9 will press against the walls of the bag and flatten the contents so that the same are spread more evenly throughout the lower and middle portions of the bag. This provides a better distributionand removesthe bottom bulge from the bag. The journey between the belts I 9 tends to make the packing more firm and solid. The rear rollers I4 being even closer to each other give the bag a final squeeze as it passes there- 5 between to make the package distribution more compact and hard, so that the bag will retain the desired shape during the completion of the packing, shipment and delivery.

The bags then continue on the conveyor be- 6;;

, a pair of spaced rear base members adjustably attached to the rear portion of said frame, a pair of spaced front rollers rotatably mounted on said front base members, a pair of spaced rear rollers rotatably mounted on said rear base members, a trough having a portion attached to 1 filled with compressible material forming a bulge at the bottoms of the bags and with wide open mouths, said front rollers each having an upper non-slip ring attached thereto, said rings extending to almost contact each other and upon contacting the upper portions of said bags to close the wide open mouths of the same, said front base members positioned toward each other to space the opposite belts carried by the' front rollers a distance slightly larger than the thickness desired for the filled bags, so that said belts upon contacting said bags compress and spread the material therein so that the bulge of the material at the bottom of the bags is eliminated and the material evenly distributed throughout the lower and middle portions of the bags, a pair of oppositely disposed resilient members attached to said frame positioned so as to contact the back of the belt adjacent thereto so that the space between the belts is maintained, said belts continuing to compress the materialin the bags to make the packing more firm and solid, said rear base members being positioned more closely toward each other than the front base members to space the opposite belts carried by the rear rollers a distance substantially the thickness desired for the filled bags so that said belts give the bags a final squeeze as they pass therebetween to make the package compact, hard and shape retaining, said conveyor having a portion beyond said frame for carrying said bags for further attention.

2. A bag packing device comprising a frame, a pair of spaced front base members adjustably attached to the front portion of said frame, a pair of spaced rear base members adjustably attached to the rear portion of said frame, a pair of spaced able conveyor extending below and between said rollers,.an endless belt extending from and between one of the rear rollers and the front roller on the same side, another endless belt extending from and between the other rear roller and the front roller on the same side, means attached to said rear rollers for moving said rollers and in turn said belts and said front rollers, said conveyor adapted to carry bags containing compressible material, said conveyor and its forward portion receiving said bags just recently filled with compressible material forming a bulge at the bottoms of the bags and with wide open mouths, said front rollers each having an upper non-slip ring attached thereto, said rings extending to almost contact each other and upon contacting the upper portions of said bags to 'close the wide open mouths of the same, said front base members positioned toward each other to space the opposite belts carried by the front rollers a distance slightly larger than the thickness desired for the filled bags, so that said belts upon contacting said bags, compress and spread the material therein so that the bulge of the material at the bottom of the bags is eliminated, and the material evenly distributed throughout the lower and middle portions of the bags, said rear base members being positioned more closely toward each other than the front base members to space the opposite belts carried by the rear rollers a distance substantially the thickness desired for the filled bags.

THOMAS E. ALLISON. 

